Driving a car at high speed along a highway seems to be fun.You need only to follow the bright traffic signs beside the highways and it will take you to where you wish.
But to a London taxi driver, driving is not an easy job.A taxi driver has to have not only good driving skills but also a good knowledge of the city of London, from the smallest lane(小巷)to the most popular bar around.He has to be at the service of all kinds of passengers at all times.
A certain London taxi driver told of his job as follows.
During the night it is quite usual for him to stop two or three times for some refreshments(点心).He said.“I never drink when I’m working-I would lose my license.”
He normally goes home between 2 and 3 o’clock in the night.There are times he has to stay longer and try to make more runs.He said, “That’s the worst thing about working for yourself.If you don’t make the money, no one is going to give it to you.”
London taxi drivers not only “take” but also “give”.Every summer hundreds of children from London will go for a day at the sea-by taxi!Their rides are paid by the taxi drivers, and these fares(车费)all go to the “London Taxi Fund for Underprivileged Children”.At the sea, they are met by the mayor, and a lunch party is also held in honor of the taxi drivers and the children.After a happy day running around the sea beaches and visiting the market, the children go home-again by taxi, and free of charge, of course!
(1)
To be a London driver is not easy because ________.
[ ]
A.
he has to follow the bright traffic signs
B.
he has to have good driving skills and know all the places in the city
C.
he has to serve all kinds of passengers at all times
D.
both B and C
(2)
The London taxi drivers ________.
[ ]
A.
work hard because no one would give them money for doing nothing
B.
never stop driving in the city
C.
only work between 2 and 3 o’clock in the night
D.
are very rich
(3)
The underlined words “Underprivileged Children” mean children ________.
The CBS-TV “National Drivers' Test” shows that many UK drivers have a lot to learn.Here are some reasons.
CBS picked 1799 sample drivers to take the test in TV studios in Nottingham, Birmingham and Liverpool.More than two out of five drivers failed the test.And the average score was the lowest passing grades-51 points out of a possible 80.
Liverpool drivers did the best with an average of 53 points.Nottingham drivers came next with 2 points lower and Birmingham drivers got 50 points-a failing score.Drivers with 50 or less rated “poorly informed” by the judges.
Here are some of the test results:
(1)Are men drivers better informed than women ones?
Yes.Men averaged 52 points while women got an average of 49.
(2)Are older drivers better informed than younger ones?
No.Drivers under 26 averaged 52 points.Dri-vers from 27~45 averaged 51, drivers over 45 failed with a 48 points average.
(3)Does education make a difference?
Yes.College graduates averaged 52 points.High school graduates averaged 50.Those without full high school education got 48.And people who got driver education courses scored an average of 53 points-three more than those who hadn't.
(4)Does driving experience make a difference?
Yes.Drivers with three or more year of experience averaged 51 points.Drivers with less experience averaged 49.
Some surprising facts about the test are also listed:
(1)More than one out of three drivers didn't know that a blinking red light means a full stop.
(2)Three out of ten drivers didn't know that an eight-sided sign means stop.
(3)More than two out of three drivers didn't know what to do when being tailgated(追尾)The answers are very simple:slow down, drive to the left, and let the drivers behind pass.
The test results have been turned to the National Safety Council and they will help future safety planning.
(1)
The author's purpose to write this passage is to ________.
[ ]
A.
prove that men are better drivers than women
B.
give us more directions about driving safety
C.
tell us the results of a national drivers' test
D.
require us to get a driving education
(2)
Which of the following as a group was rated “poorly informed” by the judges?
[ ]
A.
All men taking the driving test.
B.
High school graduate drivers.
C.
Drivers from 27~45 years of age.
D.
Drivers with 3 or more years of experience.
(3)
From the information in this passage, which of the following is correct?
[ ]
A.
Older drivers are better informed than younger drivers.
B.
Experience makes a difference among drivers.
C.
Most drivers failed the test and got very low scores.
D.
Most people don't know what a blinking red light means.
(4)
The test covered the following areas about drivers except ________.